Kannagi Ep. 6: Nagi’s (Heart-Stopping) Craziness

If this were Rosario + Vampire, you could go off all day on the ‘fanservice’. In Kannagi, however, it all seems to take a back seat somehow. I can’t quite explain it – instead of having a single aspect of the series dominate, Kannagi seems to just do all the little things competently. The result is really fun to watch as it pokes at itself, Japan’s craziness, all the while continuing to show off Nagi’s antics. It helps to have a unique supporting cast, I guess.

Summary:

Tsugumi is bored at home and idly flipping through a magazine when Jin calls and asks her to come shopping with him. Tsugumi dresses up for the event, but is surprised to see Nagi appear instead. Nagi has 10,000 yen (about 100 USD) to buy herself some new clothes – after all, she’s been stuck in the same threads for 5 episodes already. Nagi’s excited, but she suddenly finds out that 10,000 yen isn’t much at all. After all, the bags she want are all 9000+ yen, leaving her barely anything left to buy actual clothes.

Tsugumi takes Nagi to get some underwear after their failed outing to buy a cheap bag. Nagi is impressed with the selection and goes to try some on, but finds that she doesn’t quite fill them out. Tsugumi reveals that she is a C-cup after eating, and Nagi’s eyes fixate on an AA-cup…”even small ones shouldn’t worry”. It only gets worse when a D-cup wearing schoolgirl walks in on them, and Nagi buys a D-cup just because ‘she’s still growing’. Afterwards, the two spend what little money is left to buy drinks, and Nagi ponders getting a part time job…but not before surprising Jin with her new bra.

Back at school, Takako decides the art club is to go to a maid cafe that recently opened. Jin is amazed that one opened in such a suburban city like theirs, but lets it go. Takako asks Akiba why maid cafes are…well, popular amongst otakus, prompting yet another foray into the mind of an otaku. After his rant, however, the entire art club is conscripted to go to the cafe. Everybody meets in front of the anime and games shop (Akiba’s choice, of course) and heads over, where the cafe is having their promotional cosplay for a new game, Pure Heart.

At the maid cafe, everybody looks around in wonder, but only Jin recognizes that their hostess is none other than Nagi, working her part time job. Nagi immediately disappears from view, and Tsugumi, filling in for a sick friend, also hides. However, the manager suddenly pushes them out to the adoring Pure Heart fans and a clueless Takako and Akiba. Later on, Tsugumi tries to explain herself to Jin, but is so embarassed she ends up whacking her head against the wall. Nagi tries to avoid Jin as much as she can, and takes pictures with some of the patrons. When Takako pushes the two together, however, Jin can’t help but yell at Nagi for wearing something so revealing. Cut to Jin smashing his head into a mascot for saying something ridiculously stupid.

Jin starts to walk him alone, but Nagi quickly catches up with him. Nagi apologizes that she didn’t tell him about her new part-time job, but she just wanted to earn her own living. Jin explains that he wasn’t angry about Nagi getting a job. He was, however, annoyed when she was taking pictures with the other fans. With that, Nagi decides to quit her job at the maid cafe, and goes home with Jin.

Zange is hired as Nagi’s replacement (much to her dismay), and doesn’t quite get off so easily.

Impressions:

A laugher throughout the entire episode, with an “awwww” moment at the end. It’s almost confusing because Nagi has already mentioned she has someone she loves, and yet is so close to Jin. I haven’t read the manga yet, but this is almost enough for me to pick it up and speed ahead just so I can figure out what’s going on. I hear it’s pretty good too.

Zange’s backhanded tactics fail for once. The manipulative human-possessing sister gets a little comeuppance. Wonder what Hakua is thinking with the Manager going Fist of the North Star on her. Oh, also, Tsugumi must have the worst luck ever.

This is one of those rare series where it will actively poke fun at itself. It addresses its audience (we’ll make the few female viewers snicker!) blatantly, and to some extent, it works. It’s one of the only times it’s really worked for me, though.

Nagi’s underwear search is pure gold. Seeing her wearing the completely inappropriate bra and appearing in front of Jin had me chuckling for a while.

Preview:

Who knows what’s coming up? I don’t know what’s coming up. It actually is more fun this way, I think.

This final screen is pretty nice, too.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 10:13 pm and is filed under Anime, Kannagi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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